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The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

Grammaeryn

By Grammaeryn
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tv echo

tv echo

From Vulture...

How do you feel about TV shows announcing that a major character is going to die long before it happens? On Arrow, the season premiere jumped six months ahead to reveal Oliver standing in front of a grave, looking destroyed. Not as definitively, the How to Get Away With Murder premiere had Annalise getting shot two months in the future. I’ve obviously seen shows announce a death in the past and then chump out (looking at you, Daniel on Revenge season one). Charlie on Lost is (maybe) a good example of a show effectively telling us that someone is going to die long before it happens. I’m not really talking about subtle foreshadowing, just, like, straight-up showing us a bleeding, limp body or telling us, “He will die.” What do you think about this plot device on a show? Is it fun? Cheap? Or, like most things, does it depend? —Sarah

Yeah, it depends. Sometimes it's nice to be able to prepare yourself for a character death, and sometimes it's fun when you know a show is tricking you and it's not clear how they're going to pull it off. I think this device — like any other — is only frustrating when you know you can't trust the show to be clever about it or to have narrative integrity. Is there reason to believe the show knows where it's going and how it's getting there, or is this one of those "be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid" kind of things, where the show is somehow going to noodle its way to that death? When it seems like noodling, that's when I get twitchy.

Cops, Lawyers, Doctors — What Other Jobs Should TV Acknowledge? Your Pressing TV Questions, Answered
By Margaret Lyons  October 21, 2015 3:04 p.m.
http://www.vulture.com/2015/10/stay-tuned-tv-jobs-cop-shows.html#

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Morrigan2575
Morrigan2575

I always find it odd when people blame the writing for LLs failure. I'll give them that for Lauiver because of the whole cheating thing but, let's be honest if SA/KC had the chemistry that SA/EBR had,

lemotomato
lemotomato

Sorry, that argument rings really hollow when the show has had a history of killing off/mistreating other female characters without a peep of protest from those same "concerned" people. Moira Queen, S

ComicFan777
ComicFan777

I know that this is supposed to be Felicity's dark arc, but...Felicity desperately doing whatever she can to save people (damn the consequences down the road) doesn't make me think that she's losing w

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kismet

kismet

Could this be about ARROW? Is it possible that they might kill off the co-lead (aka KC per press reports).

 

http://tvline.com/2015/10/21/blind-item-killed-off-series-co-lead/

 

Details are super sketchy, but rumor has it the fatal twist is set to occur in this hour-long show’s forthcoming fall finale. Meanwhile, there are conflicting accounts as to whether the death will actually stick. Given the importance this particular character has to the series, it’s tough to imagine that it would. But in this Will Gardner-offing, McDreamy-snuffing TV world we live in now, I suppose anything is possible.

Arrow does get a lot of love from TVline, only problem is not sure its a twist if they already showed us the grave. Also not sure she is that important to the show, that the show would not be able to go on without her

.

Either way love these blind items. Will take my other speculation to Small Talk.

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wonderwall

wonderwall

At first I was hoping it was LL... But then the article went on and they said that it was a fan-favorite character....... That's not LL -_- Dammit.  Also it's the fall finale, I don't think the show is going to kill anyone off this early... I was thinking more of April during sweeps. 

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Guest

Guest

(edited)

Well, fan-fave made me think of Felicity which DO NOT WANT, obviously. But I didn't think the death happened until much later than the fall finale episode.


Also I don't see Arrow as a co-lead kind of show.

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tarotx

tarotx

(edited)

Quinton used to be a fan fave and Laurel is a fan fav at least to the local comic book fans. Felicity and Diggle are internet fan favs. 

 

If the death is mid season the only thing it does is eliminate baby mama though if she is reintroduced in the cross over (both halves) that could leave her still an option (yes I know she's far from a fan fav but I still want it to be her :p). Though that seemed to be episode 10. So I say Quinton like is a lot of people's first guess any way. Though this could be one of the other fantasy shows.

Edited by tarotx
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AyChihuahua

AyChihuahua

I'm guessing Kate Beckett, from Castle.  Apparently lots of DRAMZ on that show right now.  She apparently broke up with Castle for reasons, and it'd make sense for her to fake her death for reasons.  (I quit watching years ago, but I guess there's been lots of behind the scenes drama in the last couple years.)

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Morrigan2575

Morrigan2575

I'm guessing Kate Beckett, from Castle.  Apparently lots of DRAMZ on that show right now.  She apparently broke up with Castle for reasons, and it'd make sense for her to fake her death for reasons.  (I quit watching years ago, but I guess there's been lots of behind the scenes drama in the last couple years.)

Castle was my first guess when i read it.

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BkWurm1

BkWurm1

(edited)

I finally caught up with Castle and it's the weirdest estrangement ever. Basically she tells him she loves him so much but just needs some time on her own. Her super sketchy reasoning is that she plans on pursuing a dangerous secret investigation so she decides that if she wasn't living with him then the evil bad men wouldn't target any of her loved ones which is absurd because they are still married and there's no talk of divorce or her even pretending there is.

Basically the show runners have attempted to return to a dynamic of will they won't they without any logical explanation why they wouldn't (let alone why she'd be hiding this from him since he's determined to keep working with her anyway) and no attempt on the Becketts part to push him away beyond packing a bag and temporarily moving out. Out of the blue. But she keeps her day job. And remains very friendly to him.

Long story short, if there's any kind of death it's not going to stick. They are not writing them as breaking up. This based on my thirty some years as an expert tv watcher. It's all hype.

So I'm thinking the blind item actually belongs to a totally different show. And since In The item they express uncertainty if it's the kind of death to stick, and the procedures for Arrow have on the record say our death will stick, I'm also feeling confident that it does not apply to Arrow.

Edited by BkWurm1
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

I agree with that IGN review of 403.

 

Regarding the blind item, it could still be referring to Arrow.  It expresses doubts that this mid-season death will stick but says that the "episode in question will leave viewers with the very real impression that this fan favorite is a goner."  It could be that the mid-season finale leaves viewers with the impression that Felicity is dead, but she's not.  

Also, the spoilers indicate that Donna Smoak will appear in episodes 9 and 10.

Then at the end of the season (in April), there's another death that is real and permanent.

Edited by tv echo
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dtissagirl

dtissagirl

(edited)

LOL. But also, 409 is most likely a Christmas episode, so there's no way the flash-forward death happens in 409. Early October to Christmas =/= 6 months.

 

I mean, obviously they can kill someone in 409, but it's not the fandom baity future grave that caused Grant Gustin's utter confusion face.

 

 

 

Edit: but now I'm imagining 409 ending with a 3 months later flash-forward that shows the fandom baity future grave again, only this time there's someone else utterly confused standing there with Oliver, just for lulz. I vote for Victor Garber. Or Palmer, for more Felicity-panic.

Edited by dtissagirl
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tv echo

tv echo

Robert Dougherty gave 403 a rating of 8/10, plus here's a short Laura Hurley review for CInemaBlend (still waiting for her more in-depth Examiner review)...

 

Arrow S4: E3 -- 'Restoration'
By Robert Dougherty October 22, 2015 08:37AM EDT
http://www.themovienetwork.com/review/arrow-s4-e3-restoration

 

Arrow Just Did Something Shocking With The Lazarus Pit
BY LAURA HURLEY  11 HOURS AGO
http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Arrow-Just-Did-Something-Shocking-With-Lazarus-Pit-93867.html

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Vulture review of 403 (love Jenny Raftery's headlines)...

 

Arrow Recap: The Corpse Awakens
By Jenny Raftery  October 22, 2015 10:17 a.m.
http://www.vulture.com/2015/10/arrow-recap-season-4-episode-3.html

It’s sometimes hard to remember that Arrow started off with one man and a little brown notebook. Over time, Oliver Queen’s vigilante world became noticeably more crowded with code names and costumes: Canary, Arsenal, Black Canary, Speedy, and, after last night’s episode, maybe Canary again.
 

But despite the addition of these masked sidekicks, it’s the human connection between Oliver and his original partners — military man John Diggle and computer expert Felicity Smoak — that was and remains the heartbeat of the show. They’re the Xander and Willow to Oliver’s Buffy. (And if there aren’t academic papers comparing Oliver Queen to Buffy Summers already written, then please, somebody fix it.)
*  *  *
Not that anyone stays dead on Arrow for too long. Laurel and Thea head to Nanda Parbat with Sara’s casket to play Weekend at Meryln’s. Laurel’s motivation in taking the rotting corpse of her sister and throwing her into a pit of magical waters that is known to have terrible side effects is questionable on every level — morally, logically. (I mean, commercially, it makes sense because Caity Lotz’s Sara will be joining new Arrow spinoff Legends of Tomorrow in 2016.). The problem is compounded by Laurel’s belief that her father and Nyssa would both be thrilled by this choice. Whatever hope I had for Laurel’s character for this season has vanished, and it’s only the third episode.
*  *  *

The Felicity and Curtis scenes were spot-on this week. Great chemistry and sharp writing. Curtis’s skepticism at Felicity’s story reminded me a lot of the white lies Oliver used to tell Felicity back in season one, before she learned of his identity. Plus, an introduction to the T-Spheres!

Edited by tv echo
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SmallScreenDiva

SmallScreenDiva

Is that someone who normally posts about Arrow? Maybe it's just a person who really dislikes Oliver and Felicity.

 

If you're talking about Canadagraphs dude, yeah, he posts about Arrow when he gets shots of them filming on location. He's a pap (although he claims not to be). He really, really dislikes Olicity and Emily Bett Rickards. He's got this autograph business where he asks celebrities (usually near or at the airport) to sign photos and then resells them. I believe EBR caught on to or was told about what he was doing and has refused to sign autographs for him. Hence the hate. He's targeted KC recently, too, because she's started to refuse him autographs as well. Can't remember if the Olicity hate came before or after that.

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

'Arrow' Recap: Sara Is Back from the Dead... Again
Robert Chan  October 21, 2015
https://www.yahoo.com/tv/arrow-recap-sara-is-back-from-the-dead-again-032919903.html

Felicity and Curtis
This show should always have these two running from a metahuman. From Felicity’s coy and easily-dismantled lies about a poker tournament to the classic, “You know how to use that thing?” “No!”, their interactions were the most fun part of the episode. It’s a good thing Curtis is in on her secret, too: Every time a new member gets added to Team Arrow, it just gets more fun — despite Felicity’s rousing cry of “OTA: Original Team Arrow.”
 

Laurel and Thea
Both of these women are 100 percent in the wrong. Thea expects Malcolm to be a normal dad, seemingly unaware that he’s wearing the Death’s Head ring and controls an international cabal of assassins. Laurel ignores repeated, repeated, repeated warnings to not bring her months-dead sister back with cursed magic.

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tv echo

tv echo

Review: ‘Arrow’ Desperately Needs Its Own ‘Restoration’ Before ‘Legends’
Kevin Fitzpatrick | 13 hours ago
http://screencrush.com/arrow-restoration-review/

I spent the better part of last week’s Arrow review frustrated by all the dumb decisions at work, between Laurel haphazardly digging up a corpse to throw in an international magic hot tub, or Oliver ludicrously opting to run for Mayor, and came prepared to do the same tonight. “The Candidate” didn’t have enough going on emotionally to balance all its heavy-handed setup, and that too almost came back to haunt “Restoration,” albeit through different means. There was a lot to chew on, and some really nostalgic opining for the show’s early team dynamic, if only all this Legends of Tomorrow setup weren’t hogging the spotlight.
*  * *
... Felicity’s recurring nostalgia throughout the hour made for some strong setup, as did Emily Bett Rickards’ impressively forceful demand that both men hash out their issues, and those were the scenes and connections “Restoration” deserved to live in, rather than spend so much of its runtime in Nanda Parbat.
 

The problem with Sara’s return arc isn’t complicated, but purely functional in its setup, and simultaneously damaging of Laurel’s growth over the last season. Thea, Nyssa, Malcolm, all of them practically scream at Laurel to reconsider her decision at one point or another (let alone what Oliver or Quentin would say), and a more thought-out arc would see Laurel at least devote an episode or two of consideration to the matter. But nope, Sara needs to return before December, and get back to her old self, just like Ray needs to return, while everything we’ve come to love about Arrow takes a backseat to Legends of Tomorrow.

 

'Arrow’ Recap: “Restoration” – Oliver Plays the Hand That He’s Dealt
BY DAVE TRUMBORE      12 HOURS AGO
http://collider.com/arrow-recap-restoration-season-4-episode-3/

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this episode was one of Arrow’s best in the series. Oddly enough, “Restoration” succeeded by fully embracing the magical (and meta-human) side of the world that Oliver and Company now find themselves in. We had a superpowered card dealer, a resurrection via Lazarus pit, and even a technological communication presumably from beyond the grave. The best part about it all is that our heroes remain grounded in their very human, very constrained nature even while their enemies are developing supernatural powers. I quite liked the tone of this episode so if Arrow can manage to keep that going for the rest of the season, then we’re in for a treat.
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tv echo

tv echo

This review is lengthy (recommend reading entire article)...

 

‘Arrow’ 4×03 Recap: It Feels Like Old Times
OCTOBER 22, 2015
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-4x03-recap-it-feels-like-old-times/

You know when "Original Team Arrow" has become canon that those in charge know just how important this relationship and these three characters are as the heart of the show. While we've been deprived of this interaction since nearly season two, Arrow delivered in force with "Restoration," which saw the reunion of Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity in working together to stop the villain of the week.
 

While things have certainly changed since they last had this type of interaction -- Oliver and Felicity are dating, Oliver and Diggle have a strained relationship, and Diggle has a family -- it was exactly like riding a bike for all of those involved. When we were given the gift of Original Team Arrow, you realize that they never lost a beat. It was as easy as turning on a light switch, and that speaks wonders about the actors' chemistry and these three characters' bond over the years.
*  *  *
One of the things that has always been comforting about Oliver and Felicity's relationship is that things are never forced -- and that they never feel forced from the audience. By that I mean, Oliver and Felicity are essentially known for their small moments within episodes. Most of the time they're not overpowering episodes that are the sole focus. They are merely moments that happen organically within a story.
*  *  *
Sara Lance is the perfect example of how powerful the voice of a fandom can be when it wants something so badly. While I'm not a fan of Laurel's selfishness in the matter of Sara's revival, I am definitely a fan of Sara Lance's return to the land of the living. The show made a terrible mistake last season when they killed her to further another storyline.

tumblr_nwlkz2yr711qf5hjqo1_500.gif

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Password

You know it's interesting that the producers brought Sara back because of the outcry. But Laurel is still around.

I wonder if it means Laurel is more liked than I realised or something else. It's unfortunate she's surplus to requirements to me.

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Don't miss reading the "Wig-less Report" at the end of her review...

 

Arrow Gives Everyone Exactly What They Want, Including the Audience
Esther Inglis-Arkell  10/22/15 10:40am
http://io9.com/arrow-gives-everyone-gets-exactly-what-they-want-inclu-1737979718

Or should I call him Felici-T? Mister Terrific has made T-balls. They explode. I like that Arrow got right down to it. The guy is going to be a superhero. Why be coy?
*  *  *
No, wait. Felicity just used a machine gun. Now I love this show.
*  *  *
... And, look, I know that that black cleavage-baring outfit was Sara’s uniform, but who buries their sister in a bustier? That is the least classy-looking corpse I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a billion sexy zombie costumes this month alone.
Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

I thought both of these WhatCulture articles raised good questions and made valid points - and bonus points for Star Wars references in the second article (recommend reading both articles in their entirety, though I've quoted only their comments on the most controversial aspect of 403)...

 

Arrow Season 4: 10 Questions We’re Asking After Restoration
James Hunt  22 OCT 2015
http://whatculture.com/tv/arrow-season-4-10-questions-were-asking-after-restoration.php

Had Laurel done something crazy to try and bring Sara back in the first half of Season 3, then it would’ve made a lot of sense. That Laurel was in a dark place, consumed with grief, and her digging up her sister’s corpse would’ve been an understandable decision (although still a totally gross one).

However, the rest of her arc last year revolved around her moving on. She accepted that Sara had been killed, and was honouring her memory by becoming the Black Canary. There was some solid development on that front, and a lot of time and some emotional moments given over to it.

The Laurel we’ve seen recently isn’t crazed or desperate with grief, but her actions here suggest otherwise. As if digging up the body wasn’t bad enough, she persists with throwing her into the Pit even when Nyssa and Malcolm Merlyn advise her not to. And when Malcolm Merlyn says something’s a bad idea, you know it must be. Laurel has often been a problem character for the show, and it’s made her so again here, purely because they need to bring her sister back for Legends of Tomorrow (which, y’know, yay and stuff, but it’s still a weird move on Laurel’s part).

 

Arrow Season 4: 16 WTF Moments From ‘Restoration’
Andrew Pollard 23 OCT 2015
http://whatculture.com/tv/arrow-season-4-16-wtf-moments-from-restoration.php

Arrow has made a name for itself as one of the greatest genre shows currently on TV since it began in 2012. Whilst many a character has grown and been fleshed out, Laurel Lance is somebody who has had some awful treatment.

Whether it was becoming an alcoholic due to having one glass of wine, or her half-ass attempts at heroism, the writing of the Laurel character has caused her to become the show’s biggest weakness.

And so, when Restoration had her adamantly insisting on bringing the dead Sara Lance back from the dead, it made Laurel again look like an absolute d*ck. Even Nyssa al Ghul, Sara’s ex-partner, was against the idea, not to mention it was even too messed up for the maniacal Malcolm Merlyn to get on board with initially.

The insistence of bringing her sister back from the grave just made Laurel Lance look like a selfish, stroppy teenager… yet again, and was a move that again made us viewers care even less about Laurel, which, given the importance of the comic book Laurel Lance, is a huge disappointment.
Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

This 403 review by WeMinoredInFilm is actually pretty good (the criticism is directed mostly at the writers)...

 

ARROW’S “RESTORATION” (S4,EP3): IN DEFENSE OF LAUREL LANCE
Posted on October 22, 2015 by Kelly Konda

http://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/10/22/arrows-restoration-s4ep3-in-defense-of-laurel-lance/

The writers have again stacked the deck against Laurel and Katie Cassidy. It’s most likely a side effect of choices made in the interest of economical storytelling. “Restoration” is Thea and Malcolm’s episode. Next week will be Laurel and Quentin’s episode, the time when she gets a heart-to-heart or two and is probably asked by her dad, “Why the hell did you do this if you knew what you were bringing back might not be Sara anymore?” Some of the lingering snark directed at Laurel isn’t really Katie Cassidy’s fault. Sometimes they just set that character up to fail.

 

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tv echo

(edited)

Arrow “Restoration” Review (Season 4, Episode 3)
Jessica Breaux  October 22, 2015
http://www.tvequals.com/2015/10/22/arrow-restoration-review-season-4-episode-3/

All in all, pretty solid episode. Watching Felicity save herself and Curtis from Double Down was both hilarious and awesome. One of the things I’ve always loved about Felicity’s character is that she’s very rarely the damsel in distress. But even when she is the damsel in distress, she still usually takes an active part in her own rescue. I’m also beginning to like Curtis. He’s pretty much in the role Felicity was in when Oliver first started his mission to save Starling City. We see how that worked out, so maybe Team Arrow will be getting a new member in the near future....

 

Arrow 4×04[sic] Review – Restoration
By: Alisha Bjorklund October 22, 2015
http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2015/10/arrow-4x04-review-restoration/#.VipPAH6rTIU

So what’s the verdict? I give this episode 9 out of 10. Despite Laurel’s misled motivation for bringing Sara back and Malcolm and Thea’s dumb reasons for agreeing with her, this was a really fun episode. I didn’t realize how much I missed OTA (Original Team Arrow) until we got an episode that focused on only the three of them taking on the villain of the week. Plus, I’m a sucker for badass women and emotional bonding between the big tough heroes. The pacing was great, the action scenes were impressive and engaging, and the dialogue was hilarious, heartbreaking, and touching throughout. The character development (cough, Laurel, cough) was the biggest flaw in that there was a regression rather than a progression. Still, I enjoyed this episode and am excited for the next one.
Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

(edited)

403 reviews from some tough critics...

 

Arrow, Ep. 4.03, “Restoration”
Randy Dankievitch  October 22, 2015
http://www.popoptiq.com/arrow-restoration-review/

The real head scratcher of the episode – which has an alarming amount of them – don’t come from the conveniently-dispatched meta human, or the lame attempts to make Oliver an empathetic party in his conflict with Diggle: they come from Nanda Parbat, which jumps through a ridiculous amount of plot holes to try and engineer Sara back to life. All I had watching this sequence were questions: seeing Thea, why does Laurel think resurrecting her sister is a good idea, beyond her sudden feelings this is “something she needs to try”? How does pink bubble bath destroy the Lazarus Pit, and why didn’t Nyssa use it ages ago if she hated her father? Why haven’t her and Malcolm killed each other yet? Why would Malcolm agree to resurrect Sara, knowing that she watched Thea kill her, and thus would be resurrecting someone with a severe blood lust to get revenge, an insatiable desire Malcolm had JUST EXPLAINED to Thea she’d never get rid of?
 

This isn’t just an example of “Laurel’s the Worst”: this is one of the most egregious, ridiculous events Arrow has tried to sell to its audience. Sara’s death had actual meaning on Arrow: it gave her sister a meaningful arc for the first time in the show’s history, and was one of the only events in the show’s history – besides The Undertaking and Slade killing Moira – that actually had any sort of weight: in service of reviving her for a spin off, Arrow is perfectly willing to turn two of its female cornerstones into idiots (three if you include Nyssa), and doing so in the most ludicrously “mystical” location the show has to offer.

 

‘Arrow’ Post-Show Analysis: Season 4, Episode 3: ‘Restoration’
by Matt D. Wilson October 22, 2015 3:00 PM
http://comicsalliance.com/arrow-post-show-analysis-restoration/

Chris: I have a number of questions here, but the immediate one has to be: Did they seriously bury her in that getup?

Matt: There’s actually a decent explanation for that. It was a secret burial, because they wanted to hide her (second) death from her dad. So it makes some sense that she’d just be buried in what she died in, her Canary costume.

Chris: I am literally doing that thing where you close your eyes and squeeze the bridge of your nose. I don’t know if that has a name, but I think everyone knows what I’m talking about.

 

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Edited by tv echo
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